THE GREAT RUSSIAN 'TELESCOPE. 47 
THE SUN AND PLANETS FOR MAY, 1883. 
W. DAWSON, SPICEL\ND, INDIANA. 
The Sun's mean Right Ascension (mean distance from the Vernal Equinox) 
on May ist is 2h. 37m., or 39°; and this increases aoout four minutes every day, so 
that on May 31st the mean Right Ascension of the Sun will be 4h. 35m, or 69°, 
an increase of two hours during the month. Now this Right Ascension of the 
Sun subtracted from the Right Ascension of any star will give the time that 
Star crosses the Meridian, or south. Then Regulus (the bright Star in Leo) whose 
Right Ascension is loh. 2m. will south at 7:25 P. M. on the ist, and about four 
minutes earlier each day afterwards. Beta of Leo, or Dembola, south's ih. 41m. 
later than Regulus. An excellent way of obtaining true mean time is by observing 
with a transit instrument or other meridian mark the moment when a star souths. 
A great eclipse of the Sun will occur at the time of New Moon, May 
6th. An interesting account of this eclipse is given in the Review for April. 
This noted phenomenon occurs about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Kansas City 
time, and might be visible here if the Moon were only about its own diameter 
further north. An eclipse of this series will occur every eighteen years and about 
eleven days; and a little farther north every time. So it will likely be visible 
here in the distant future — probably near 200 years. The Moon comes to First 
Quarter May 13, about 4:30 P. M. That night — if the sky is clear, will be a 
good time to view the Moon through a telescope. The mountains and shadows, 
valleys, &c., show better near the quarter than at other phases. Jupiter graces 
the western sky as being the brightest star in that region. On the i6th, about 
8 P. M. his four Moons will afford an interesting sight through a small telescope 
— being two on each side of the planet, and near together, like a double star 
above and another just below the planet. Saturn is near the western horizon — a 
few degrees southwest of the Seven Stars. It will soon be lost in the Sun's rays. 
Venus is the bright morning star in the southeast. In the telescope it presents a 
delicate half-moon shape. It and Mars will be near together about the 9th and 
loth. But Mars is much dimmer than Venus, and will be north a little farther 
than the Moon's diameter. 
THE GREAT RUSSIAN TELESCOPE. 
We have seen the wonders of the starlit sky through the largest and best re- 
fracting telescope in the world; but the wonderful instrument is not destined to 
remain in this country. The most important part of it, the object glass, with the 
cell that holds it in place, will soon be on its way to the Russian Observatory of 
Pulkowa, located on the Pulkowa Hills, nine miles south of St. Petersburg, and 
commanding a fine view of the Capital. The Observatory was built and richly 
